Bucket



G. W. MILLER BUCKET Filed June l4, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mvzu-ron ATTORNEY Jan. 20, 1925- 1 523,604

G. W. MILLER BUCKET Filed June 14, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheed 2 Patented Jan. 20, 1925.

UNITED STATES enema w. mnmnn, or mansrrnnn, mrssonm.

BUCKET.

Application filed June 14, 1923. Serial No. $15,454.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mansfield, in the county of Wright and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Buckets, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention has reference to a bucket designed for removing mud and gravel from. wells and has for its primary object to reinforce and strengthen the lower open end of the bucket in a manner whereby the removable bottom that provides the lower valve seat will be protected from injury by contact with the head on the outer end of the stem of the valve as well as by contact with the wall or casing of the well, and likewise be prevented from inflicting injury to the bucket proper, while at the same time affording a perfect seat for the valve. and preventing the flow of water through the valve seat and bucket, while.

also eifectively locking the valve seat on the bucket in a manner which will permit of the ready removal of the seated valve when it is desired that the contents of the bucket find an outlet through the bottom.

thereof.

The present invention may also be considered in the nature of an improvement on the bucket on which I received United States Letters-Patent No. 1,37 0,340, granted me March 1, 1921.

The drawings which accompany and form part of this specification, illustrate asa-tisfactory embodlment of the improvement reduced to practice.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a sectional view of a well bucket constructed in accordance with my Patent 'No. 1,370,340, and illustrating the improvement.

Figure 2 is a greatly enlar ed side elevation of the lower end of the ucket.

Figure 3 is a sectional view onthe line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line H of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the reinforcement. i

Figure 6 is a similar view of the bucket bottom or valve seat.

In drilling with cabletools, use is made of what is called the dart bailer which constitutes a valve seat in the bottom of the bucket for a valve that has a stem projecting downwardly through its seat, the outer end of the stem being headed. When the headed end of the dart hits the bottom of the well, the valve is raised from its seat and the Weight of the bucket presses the rock, gravel and mud into the bottom of the bucket. hen the bucket is elevated, the dart seats itself and holds the heavy material in the bucket when the latter is raised. When fully elevated, the bucket is set on the floor to dump, the head of the valve contacting the floor raises the same, so that the slush passes out of the bottom of the bucket. If, however, the material in the bucket is of such character that it cannot pass between the dart or valve and seat, it is necessary that the bucket be turned upside down to remove such material. In United States Letters-Patent No. 1,370,340, I make use of a removable seat for the lower valve, in order that both the valve and seat may be removed from the bucket to permit the discharge of heavy material through the bottom of the bucket. The construction disclosed by my said patent, and other constructions for a similar purpose which are known to me, do not eflectively answer the purpose for which they are devised. The bottom of the bucket, incident to the rough usage to which it is subjected should be reinforced, and I have found from practice that a particular and peculiar manner of reinforcing the bucket may serve as a means for also reinforcing and protecting the bottom or lower valve seat for the bucket in a manner which will prevent injury to either the bucket of the bottom thereof. I have also found that I can readily attach and securely lock the bucket bottom or valve seat to the reinforcement, and at the same time permit of the removal of the valve seat or bottom and the valve carried thereby when the contents of the bucket are to be delivered from the bottom thereof, the reinforcement serving as a guide means for properly directing the material therethrough. In addition to this, I have found that my reinforcing means serve to more effectively seat the valve and will prevent a leakage of water between the same and the bucket.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the bucket is indicated b the numeral 1. The bucket is open at bot of its ends and preferably has arranged therein for slidable the neck will rest upon the straight wallv 3 of the flange and the shoulder 13 will be in movement a hollow plunger-that has its top closed by hinged doors or valves and-in which the'bucket: operating means influence the valves to open position when the lunger descends in the b'u'cket or on theslac ing of the operating means whereby heavy material entering the 'bottom of the bucket will be disposed above the valves, the. impelling means for the va s serving'as rests for the said valves whe the bucket'is being elevated, and when so elevated the water will drain-through the valveson to a lower selfinwardly opening valve in the bottom of the bucket. It frequently happens that gravel gets betweenthe last mentioned valve and or sleeve 2. The sleeve, at its upper end is flanged inwardly, the lower wall of the flange providing a straight shoulder 3, The sleeve has its outer endin .a line with the outer end of the tubular bucket, and from its said outer end the sleeve is provided with equi-distantly spaced bayonet slots, and the bucket is likewise provided with similar aligning bayonet slots. Ina line with the longitudinal passage of the bayonet slots 5, the

sleeve has its outer face formed with notches 6 which communicate with the outer walls of the vertical passages of, the said bayonet slots 5. a In each notch .6 there is pivotally supported a shank 8 that has its outer end.

formed with a laterally extending head 9, and each head is kerfed, as at lO; The heads 9, when turned to one position will be fully received in the depressions that form pockets therefor, and when turned to another position will be arranged transversely of the vertical passages of the bayonet slots 5.

The bottom or valve seat for the bucket. is broadly indicated by the numeral 11. The] .member 11 .is round in cross section and is formed,,at its upper end: with a reduced ex-- tension in the nature of a neck 12. The neck is' of a size to be snugly received in the bore of the sleeve2, and'the distance between the shoulder 13 of the bottom or valve seat proper and the outerend of the neck 12 corresponds to the distancebetween the lower straight wall 3 of the flange and. the. outer end of the sleeve 2. Thus the upper end of contact with the outer end of the sleeve and bucket when the bottom'or valve seat 11 is The shoulder 13- arranged in the bucket. is of a thicknessequalling the combined thickness of the sleeve 2 and the bucket 1,"

so that when in position the outer surface of the valve seat will bein alignment with the outer surface of the bucket. The width of the bore of the bucket is, however, of a less width than the distance between the two opposed sides of the flange of the sleeve,

' so that the .portion of the valve seat-projecting inwardly from the shoulder 3 of the sleeve provides the valve seat'prope'r, and its seat is preferably'flared outwardly, as indicated by the-numeral 14. k

The neck. portion 12 of the bottom llhas arranged thereon equi-distantly. spaced out wardly extending lugs 15 and these lugs, are

designed tobe received first through the vertical passages of. the key-hole slots, 5 and after the bottom is turned in thebucket to be received in thehorizontal passages of the 1 I said slots. When in such position the looking elements which constitute the headed members9 are turnedso that-the said heads bridge the vertical passages ofthe key-hole slots and arein the path of contact with the lugs, preventing the same'moving out of the horizontal passa es of the key-hole slots. The bottom 11 1s provided with a longitudinal depressionor slot 16 for the reception of the jaw of -.a spanner'wrench or for any other suitable tool toassist in turning the bottom to'bring the. lugs thereof into the horizonal passages of the key-hole slots or toturn the said bottomto'bring the lugsin a line with the vertical passages of the slots when the looking or retaining means 9 are moved intheir pockets out of bridgingengagement with respect to' the vertical passages of the said slots. I

The valve includes aball head 17 which is designed to be snugly received on the seat 14 In the head there is screwed a stem 18,

the outer end of thej'stem projecting a. suitable distance through the bottom 11 and being. formed with a lateralextension inthe it nature of a head 19,

Itiis thought that the foregoing descri tion, when taken in connection. with t e drawings, will fully set forth the construction, and advantages of the im rovement to. those skilled inxthe art. to whic such inven-- tions relate, and therefore further detailed description will not be required I Having described the invention,I claim 1. A bucket'for the purpose set forth having open ends, a reinforcin sleeve secured inthe lower'end of the said sleevehaving at its inner end aninwardly directed annular flange, 'a tubular valve seat providin' a bottom I for the bucket, having a nec extension received in the sleeve and in contactin engagement with the flange and the shoul er'between the neck and bottom in contacting engagement with the outer-end ofthe bucket andsleeve, means 'removably securing the bottomin the bucket, and a ball valve finding a seat on ucket and the inner end of the neck and having a stem extending through the neck and bottom and the outer end of the stem headed.

2. A bucket for the purpose set forth having open ends, a reinforcing sleeve secured in the lower end of the bucket, said sleeve having an intu'rned annular flange at its upper end which is dished inwardly on its outer face, the sleeve and the lower end of the bucket having aligning key-hole slots and having notches in line with the horizontal passages of the slots, members pivoted in the notches in the sleeve and provided with lateral heads designed, when moved in one direction to enter and straddle the vertical passages of the key-hole slots, a tubular bottom for the bucket having a reduced neck extension which enters the sleeve and which contacts with the inner face of the flange when the shoulder between the bottom and neck is in contacting engagement with the outer edge of the bucket and sleeve, spaced pins on the neck to be received in the key-hole slots, the upper end of the neck being flared inwardly to provide a seat, and a ball valve on said seat having a projecting stem passing through the bottom and having its outerend headed.

3. A bucket for the purpose set forth having open ends, a reinforcing sleeve secured in the lower end of the bucket, said sleeve having an inturned annular flange at its upper end which is dished inwardly on its outer face, the sleeve and the lower end of the bucket having aligning key-hole slots and having notches in line with the horizontal passages of the slots, members pivoted in the notches in the sleeve and provided with lateral heads designed, when moved in one direction to enter and straddle the vertical passages of the key-hole slots, a tubular bottom for the bucket having a reduced neck extension which enters the sleeve and which contacts with the inner face of the flange when the shoulder between the bottom and neck is in contacting engagement with the outer edge of the bucket and sleeve, spaced pins on the neck to be received in the key-hole slots, the upper end of the neck being flared inwardly to provide a seat, and a ball valve on said seat having a projecting stein passing through the bottom and having its outer end headed, and said bottom, below the neck thereof having a longitudinal slot.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GEORGE W. MILLER. 

